


Who I Want To Be

by radstarmuffin



Series: Rune Factory Village Romance Week [4]
Category: Rune Factory 4
Genre: (also this is more than a little vent-y), (i got very invested in my own hc ok), F/M, Trans Character, also mentions of blood, but nothings described its literally just mentioned, i never know what to rate these, idk ill say teen for the swearing, kind of a character study also, like theyre all about canon level of maturity probs?, not like the dragon., oh right also uh some implied dysphoria and stuff, oh tiny bit of sicfic at the end lol, pls ignore my overtagging anxiety ass, this is...experimental
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 02:34:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18651160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radstarmuffin/pseuds/radstarmuffin
Summary: Day 7 - Futures (for #RFVillageRomance week on tumblr)A sort-of character study of Jones. Featuring the headcanon I can't let go of, the first time he met Nancy, and some birthday wishes.





	Who I Want To Be

**Author's Note:**

> Yo wassup so am I the only one bitter that people hate on Jones all the time? Probably. Oh well, I happen to like him and his relationship with Nancy so I’m providing myself with the content I wanna see. 
> 
> Why did this get so long. This needs to stop happening, this was supposed to be the one-shot i could definitely post on the day I was supposed to, but instead... Lol. There's some nonsense about birthday and wedding traditions that they probably don't adhere to in the RF universe ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Like I said in the tags, this fic turned out very vent-y and weird and experimental. I've been trying to write a little visual novel game thing and I've been wanting to practice my dialogue, but I'll be the first to admit this got excessive, oops.
> 
> Oh last thing I swear, I know some days in this series are missing but I actually did an art for day 4 (april showers) which is [here](https://pitter-patt-art.tumblr.com/post/184432829252/day-4-april-showers-rfweeks-im-late-but-it) if anyone's interested

_ “Time to blow out the candles!” _

_ “...” _

_ “Hey, hey! What’d you wish for?” _

_ “I-it’s a secret...” _

_ “No fair! C’mon, just tell me!” _

_ “Um… My mom said if I tell anyone then it won’t come true, so...” _

_ “C’moooon! Tell me, tell me, tell me! I won’t tell anyone else, I swear!” _

_ “But… you promise you won’t tell anyone?” _

_ “Cross my hurt and hope to die!” _

_ “That’s not… Um, okay. I wished…” _

_ “Yeah??” _

_ “I… I wished, that, um, it’s about what I wanna be when I grow up…” _

_ “Whaaat? Is that all? Boooring. Everybody already knows you wanna be a doctor!” _

_ “...” _

_ “Nevermiiind, you’ve told me all about that before anyway. Hey, let’s go see if there’s any cake left!” _

_ “...Y-yeah, okay, sounds good.” _

  
  


_ ~~~~~ _

  
  


_ “Honey! What’re you doing in the dirt, you’re going to get your skirt all dirty!” _

_ “Mom, look, there’s a baby bird here. It must have fallen out of its nest.” _

_ “That’s great, dear, but we’re running late to your cousin’s wedding and I will not be th--” _

_ “Mom! It’s not great, it’s terrible! I think we need to help it.” _

_ “Hun, you’re not supposed to touch baby birds, their parents won’t recognize them anymore. All you’ll be doing is harming the poor thing. Leave it be and let’s go.” _

_ “But… don’t you think it’d be worse to leave it here, what if it’s hurt, or what if a predator comes along, or someone doesn’t see it and--” _

_ “Leave it. We don’t have time for this, okay?” _

_ “But, Mom!” _

_ “Get up, let’s see if you’ve ruined the nice,  _ expensive _ dress we got you. Up you go.” _

_ “...told you I didn’t want it…” _

_ “What was that?” _

_ “I- Nothing, Mom.” _

_ “Good. Let’s get a move on and maybe we won’t be disowned for missing the ceremony.” _

_ “...Okay.” _

_ “I’ll never understand why you feel the need to play in the dirt like that. Wild creatures carry diseases, shouldn’t you know that with all that you go on about playing nurse or whatever?” _

_ “Doctor.” _

_ “What?” _

_ “I wanna be a doctor. Nurses are fine, but I want to learn everything I can and help as many--” _

_ “Honey, that’s nice, but don’t you think you should try for something more… attainable? Oh, did I tell you that nice Miss Anne is open to taking on an apprentice? You’re so good at sewing, you should go talk to her.” _

_ “That’s… Um, maybe. Hey, Mom? About that baby bird.” _

_ “Oh, really now. Are we still talking about that? You know why we had to leave it--” _

_ “Yeah, I know. But I was wondering… Um, if it was me -- if I was the baby bird, and you were the mama bird -- would you have, --or um, what if someone…” _

_ “Dear, if I was a mama bird and you fell out of my nest, I wouldn’t want some strange creature to come snatch you up! I would want to come get you myself of course, to make sure you were okay.” _

_ “Oh. But, what if you didn’t know, or you couldn’t lift me on your own, and if someone else could help, you wouldn’t be grateful?” _

_ “Grateful to someone sticking their nose where it didn’t belong and trying to ‘help’ when they could be making everything worse? I don’t think so.” _

_ “But what if--” _

_ “Baby. You aren’t a bird, and neither am I. Of course I want you to be safe, but-- You remember stranger danger, don’t you?” _

_ “Mom, I’m not-- Of course I remember what stranger danger is, that’s not what I’m saying--” _

_ “Someday, when you’re older and have kids of your own, you’ll understand. We’re not birds, so I don’t want you to get hurt trying to play with them, okay? For now, can we please just focus on getting through this wedding?” _

_ “I… guess so.” _

_ “Good. Ooh, aren’t you excited? Speaking of when you’re older, maybe you should take notes! Your cousin has good taste in decorations, you know. Oh, but your dress won’t be anything like hers, I should hope. Why anyone would want to wear such an  _ experimental  _ dress on such an important day is beyond me. I can’t believe your uncle let her get away with that....” _

_ “...” _

  
  


_ ~~~~~ _

  
  


_ “And then I jumped up and grabbed it! They said that means I’m next, hehehe! Hey, you’ve been to a wedding before, right? Did the bride throw the bouquet? Wasn’t it fun?”  _

_ “Oh, um, yeah, my cousin’s, a while ago. I  _ think _ they did something like that, maybe…” _

_ “What?! You don’t remember? That’s too bad. It was so fun! The flowers were so pretty, and all the ladies crowded around to try to catch it. I was the shortest one, but I still got it!” _

_ “Oh, really? I think I was hiding for that part… My grandma and my mom kept fussing with my hair and my dress. And they was mad when I smudged my makeup...” _

_ “Haha, that sounds just like you. Well, at  _ my _ wedding, you have to participate, okay? I’ll have the prettiest bouquet, so you’ll definitely want to catch it.” _

_ “Do you really think you have to get married next, since you caught it?” _

_ “Those are the rules! Plus, wouldn’t it be nice? I’d get to wear a beautiful dress, and all my family and friends would be there,  _ and _ just imagine my handsome groom standing there waiting for me… I can’t wait! Don’t you wanna get married?” _

_ “I guess so. I want to fall in love someday, but I didn’t have that much fun at my cousin’s wedding.” _

_ “Aw, really? That sucks. Maybe it was just a bad wedding! When you have your own, you’ll be able to pick everything yourself! Like the flowers, and the music, and the location--oh, you want to be a farmer, don’t you? Maybe you could set it up in your own backyard!” _

_ “Hm… yeah, you’re right!” _

_ “Not to mention the most important thing!” _

_ “Haha, you mean, the other person?” _

_ “Oh, well, yeah,  _ duh _ , you can choose your  _ groom _ , but that’s not what I meant!” _

_ “My… right. But, um, what else is there? The cake?” _

_ “What? No! I mean, yes, definitely, it should be one of those big pretty cakes but still taste good, you know? But, what I meant was the  _ dress _ , of course!” _

_ “The… dress.” _

_ “Yeah! You can’t have a wedding without a big, beautiful dress! And you could even have bridesmaids and pick their dresses too, and you can color coordinate them with your flowers and stuff, but they’re not as good as your dress so everyone’s eyes are still on you, and--aaahhh! Can’t you just picture it?!” _

_ “Right, I guess so. I’m sure you’ll look beautiful.” _

_ “Thanks! But I meant for you, dummy. You’ll look really beautiful, too! Do you know what kind of dress you’d want? I like western-style dresses, but someone at the wedding was telling me about an eastern-style one that sounded really amazing!” _

_ “Oh. I don’t really know; I’ve never thought about it…” _

_ “Hmm… For you, I think it should be one that’s--” _

_ “Um! Sorry, but, I, uh, think I’d rather find someone to marry before I start thinking about weddings and stuff. Isn’t it kind of, uh, I don’t know, boring, to talk about something that won’t happen for a long time?” _

_ “Hmph.  _ I  _ don’t think it’s boring.” _

_ “S-sorry... Oh, wait, I know! It’s, um, too… too, uh, boring, to talk about  _ my  _ wedding, but since you caught that bouquet, that means yours is coming soon, right? So it’s okay if we talk about yours!” _

_ “Hmm… well, okay, if you say so. So, listen, my sister told me that certain flowers have different meanings, isn’t that cool? I was thinking I wanted to find flowers that mean something, and then I could…” _

  
  


_ ~~~~~ _

  
  


_ “No, what are ya doing!? Gimme that.  _ This  _ is how yer supposed to do it,  _ this  _ end of the hoe goes  _ that  _ way, see?” _

_ “Oh, right. Sorry…” _

_ “Yeah. Kid, I thought you said ya wanted to be a farmer? You don’t even know how ta hold the tools?” _

_ “I did -- I mean, I  _ do _ want to be a farmer. It’s just that I don’t seem to be particularly good at it, do I?” _

_ “...” _

_ “What? What’s with that look?” _

_ “Listen, kid… Yer smart. Too smart to be stuck doing this kind o’ manual labor shit. Why don’t ya wanna do somethin’ more academic? I’m sure you could make it big if ya wanted to.” _

_ “Well… I don’t really care about the money or anything. I’ve just always thought being close to the earth like this would be really fulfilling.” _

_ “That’s nice n’ poetic and all, but ya know that it ain’t always all that, right?” _

_ “Ha, yes, I suppose that’s true.” _

_ “Look, I’m not tryin’ ta say farming isn’t fulfilling. But for the short time I’ve known you, you haven’t seemed like someone fulfilling their life’s dream.” _

_ “Yeah, I know. I have wanted to be a farmer for a long time, but now that I’m here, I’m starting to think it only sounded nice in theory.” _

_ “Well, listen. Like I said, yer smart, way smarter’n me. I’m sure you’d be a great help on any farm, even if it’s just crunchin’ the numbers or keepin’ the books. An’ all the heavy liftin’ can be worked up to, yeah? But if you ask me, it’s a waste of yer talents.” _

_ “I’m aware that I’m not exactly suited for this kind of work. And I think you might be right. But I signed on for a whole season of work, and I’m not interested in quitting partway through.” _

_ “Ha! Well, good ta know yer a hard worker. Don’t think that’d matter much if I fired ya, though, would it?” _

_ “...I suppose not. Are you firing me?” _

_ “M’boy, if I could keep you all ta meself, I would. But I think we both know you ain’t plannin’ on stayin’ much longer.” _

_ “Maybe so, but--” _

_ “Don’t get ahead of yerself, lad. I can’t go firin’ me workers in the middle of me busiest season, can I? We can discuss yer plans after the harvest.” _

_ “I… really appreciate that, sir. I don’t really have anywhere else to go on such short notice, either.” _

_ “Hm. Well, don’t get me wrong. Yer always welcome here. But I have a feelin’ ya ain’t gonna find yer happiness in these fields. Pass me those seeds o’er there, will ya?” _

_ “These? Here.” _

_ “Y’know, ya really helped me out when that buffamoo calf sprained its leg. Ya ain’t interested in bein’ some sort o’ vet or a doctor or somethin’?” _

_ “Well… as a matter of fact, when I was younger, I actually was interested in being a doctor. I haven’t thought about that seriously in years, though” _

_ “Yeah? What changed?” _

_ “It was a silly dream. My parents… didn’t exactly approve. Of course, they wouldn’t be pleased with me farming, either.” _

_ “But here ya are. So if that ain’t the issue..?” _

_ “I’m… not a fan of blood. Haven’t been since-- for some time now. Can’t be a doctor with a fear of blood. So I changed my focus, and studied up on farming. Seemed more attainable at the time, but…” _

_ “That all?” _

_ “I know it seems like a trivial fear, but it really is a problem. I can’t help it.” _

_ “Naw, tha’s not what I’m sayin’. What I mean is, what makes you think ya can’t be a doctor if yer afraid o’ blood?” _

_ “Well, how would I treat patients?” _

_ “I dunno ‘bout all that, lad, but it takes all kinds. No matter what yer doin’. When ya go in fer a checkup, ya don’t hafta be bleedin’, do ya? And they’re always comin’ up with more new n’ confusin’ types of potions and medicines, ain’t they? Don’ hafta be a surgeon or nothin’ if ya don’ wanna, right?” _

_ “I guess not.” _

_ “Eh, listen ta me go on an’ on. You probably don’ wanna hear an old man like me nag ya about yer career, do ya? Jus’ think on it, yeah? You’ve always got choices, ain’t nothin’ set in stone.” _

_ “That’s... some very good advice, sir. I promise I’ll keep it in mind.” _

_ “Sure, sure. Jus’ be careful not to keep everythin’ in mind, all the time, ya hear? Ya ever need ta talk about somethin’, spit it out! Ain’t nobody gonna hear what yer thinkin’, an the plants are great at listenin’, but they ain’t so great at answerin’ back, no matter how long ya glare at ‘em!” _

_ “Ah. Everyone’s always told me I wear my heart on my sleeve, but sometimes I still forget. That’s a very kind offer, sir. I really appreciate it.” _

_ “Anytime, kid. Now, that about finishes this field up, don’cha think? What say we head on back and fry up some rice ta reward ourselves?” _

_ “Yes, sir!” _

  
  


_ ~~~~~ _

  
  


_ “Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit…” _

_ “...” _

_ “Hey, come on, can you hear me?” _

_ “...” _

_ “Hey! Hello, is there anyone nearby!? This--this woman needs help!” _

_ “...” _

_ “O-okay. Okay. L-l-listen to me, I’m gonna--I’m gonna wrap this up, okay? You’re bl-bleed-bleeding, a lot, and…” _

_ “...” _

_ “Shit. Keep it together, Jones. You can, you can do this. It’s just, it’s just as though she spilled a glass of tomato juice on herself, that’s all…” _

_ “...” _

_ “Just ignore it, just ignore it, just, please, ignore it…” _

_ “...” _

_ “She needs help, and there’s no one else around, so-- So it’s just going to have to be you, Jones. There’s no other option.” _

_ “...” _

_ “See, it’s--that’s not so bad, everything’s fine so far, you’re, you’re fine…” _

_ “...” _

_ “You’re gonna be just fine. Er. And, um, you too, of course, miss. What were you even doing out here, I wonder…” _

_ “...” _

_ “O-okay. I think-- I’m fairly sure that should, should hold, I think…” _

_ “...” _

_ “Th-that’s, uh, probably not very reassuring, is it, miss? I’m so sorry, I wish one of the doctors had found you instead, I wish…” _

_ “...” _

_ “No, nevermind, that doesn’t matter. Listen, I, I’m sure you probably can’t hear me, but I’m going to-- I need to go find help, and I can’t-- I don’t think I should move you, since we’re out in the wilderness and there’s a steep enough cliff nearby, so if you fell and-- Maybe your back is-- Yeah. So I’m, I’m going to go get help.” _

_ “...” _

_ “I’ll be back, okay? I swear, I’ll be right back, just, sit tight…” _

_ “...” _

_ “... ‘sit tight,’ so stupid… pull yourself together…” _

_ “...” _

  
  


_ ~~~~~ _

  
  


_ “Oh, hey, Jones, is that you? Could you come in here and take vitals for me? I need to go check on another patient and I can’t find any of the nurses anywhere.” _

_ “Of course, doctor. I’ll handle it.” _

_ “Thanks, Jones. Okay, Miss Nancy, I am leaving you in Jones’ capable hands. I’ll be back in to see you later this evening.” _

_ “Sounds good, doc!” _

_ “...” _

_ “So  _ you’re _ Jones.” _

_ “Hmm..? Yes, that’s me. Let’s see, you’re Miss Nancy, injuries relating to… an accident in the… oh.  _ Oh. _ Er… hi there.” _

_ “Hahaha. Do you always have your head buried in charts? It’s a wonder you noticed me out there at all.” _

_ “Um. Well, that was… W-wait, how did you..?” _

_ “Hmhmhm. Did you think they wouldn’t tell me who saved me? I’ll admit, I was starting to worry you’d never come check on me!” _

_ “Oh, uh, well, I’ve heard that everything’s been going well, that you’ve been recovering alright, so I didn’t really feel like you would want anyone else to come bother you--” _

_ “What! Of course I wanted you to come visit me! How else was I supposed to say ‘thank you’ to my rescuer?” _

_ “Thank  _ me _? Oh, no, really, you should be thanking all the doctors who were able to patch you up. All I did was run and get help.” _

_ “Don’t sell yourself short! The doc already told me that I’d have been a goner if it weren’t for you finding me and bandaging my wounds when you did.” _

_ “Oh, they… told you all that? Well, I guess I should accept your thanks, but really, I just did what anyone would have done.” _

_ “Maybe, but you did it way better than an ordinary person would have been able to. If it had been me, I’m sure no matter how many bandages I had they wouldn’t have helped stopped the bleeding at all, haha.” _

_ “Well, that’s very kind of you to say. Um, I am glad to see that you appear to be doing well. I was so relieved when they said you would have a full recovery.” _

_ “So you  _ were _ worried about me, huh?” _

_ “Of course! When I found you, you were… in pretty bad shape.” _

_ “Ah, yeah. Sorry about that. I’m sure it wasn’t very fun to have your walk interrupted by a seriously-injured stranger, were you?” _

_ “I’m just glad I found you out there at all. ...If you don’t mind me asking, what were you doing someplace so dangerous, all alone?” _

_ “Oh, I don’t mind. I get that a lot, actually! I’ve been adventuring for some time now.”  _

_ “Adventure, huh?” _

_ “Yep! I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go, so I decided to travel around and see it all while I figured it out! This is the first time anything this bad has happened to me, though.” _

_ “Hmm.” _

_ “You probably think it’s pretty irresponsible of me, right? I knew it was dangerous before I started doing it.” _

_ “Oh, no, sorry, it’s not that. Actually, I’m kind of jealous of you. I’m definitely not tough enough to go on any adventures -- I worked on a farm for a little while not too long ago and it nearly killed me. I wish I could do that kind of stuff, but I’m just not very suited to it.” _

_ “Haha, really? You on a farm? You look every bit the proper doctor-in-training! I love that you can never tell what people are really like at first glance, don’t you?” _

_ “I suppose?” _

_ “I’m serious! I’ll bet you didn’t peg me for an adventurer the first time you saw me!” _

_ “...Well…” _

_ “Oops, that’s right. Sor-ry, must still be a bit off from all the meds. Usually I’m better at reading the room!” _

_ “Honestly, I would be more worried if you did something else for a living and still wound up in that situation.” _

_ “I guess that’s a good point! Although, you can liken any job back to needing materials, can’t you?” _

_ “How so?” _

_ “Like, if I told you I was a carpenter, it could be that I was out collecting lumber! Or if I owned some sort of shop, maybe I was looking for rare monster drops, or I could have been a blacksmith looking for ore, or anything, really!” _

_ “I guess you do have a point, there.” _

_ “You know, when I was younger I always dreamed of doing something exciting and dangerous. Now that I’m here, I gotta say these ‘consequence’ things really suck, haha.” _

_ “Hm.” _

_ “Aw, hey, don't give me that look. I don't have a death wish or anything. I'll just have to be more careful in the future!” _

_ “Yeah…” _

_ “...” _

_ “O-kay, well, uh, I guess I’d better check those vitals right? I’ll be in trouble if the doctor comes back before I’ve done anything.” _

_ “Oh, right, of course! Wouldn’t want to get you in trouble.” _

_ “Although, I suppose I can say I’ve run through some of the concussion protocols. You aren’t having any trouble remembering things or holding a conversation.” _

_ “There you go! No one can say you haven’t been working this whole time.” _

_ “Haha, I guess not. Well, I’d better make sure it stays that way. Now, Miss Nancy, if I could see your wrist, please?” _

_ “Sure thing, and just Nancy is fine, you know. Sir Mister Doctor-in-training Jones.” _

_ “Yikes, I wasn’t that bad about it, was I?” _

_ “Hahaha, no, I’m just teasing you.” _

_ “Well, you win,  _ Nancy _. Let’s see that wrist now, please.” _

  
  


_ ~~~~~ _

  
  


_ “Nancy?” _

_ “Yeees, Jones?” _

_ “What… exactly are we doing here?” _

_ “Oh, sorry! Do you not like the food here? We can go someplace else if you want! Although you really shouldn't have waited until  _ after  _ we ordered…” _

_ “No, it's not that… Um. When you said you had ‘an urgent appointment’ that you needed my help with, I wasn't expecting… Or, are we early..?” _

_ “Are you kidding? We barely made it here on time! That cute elven pianist over there only plays for a little while, and I thought we were going to miss her!” _

_ “Oh. Of...course. Are we here for her..?” _

_ “Well, partially. Mostly because this chef's food is  _ to die for _. It's amazing, I'm telling you. You're gonna love it. I was only passing through the first time I came here, but I knew I’d absolutely have to come back. Great food, great music, and the chef is quite a character, heehee. I think you’ll like him.” _

_ “So… okay. Um. At the risk of sounding incredibly stupid, can I ask you a question?” _

_ “Hmmm~ Well, I think that's really up to you, isn't it?” _

_ “I...Shit. This really is a date, isn't it?” _

_ “Hahaha! Oh, my, I'm  _ sooo  _ sorry,  _ whatever  _ could have  _ possibly  _ given you  _ that _ impression?” _

_ “I'll be seeing myself out now, thank you.” _

_ “Heeheeh-- Heey, get back here! No way you're getting out of this one that easily.” _

_ “Yes, well, I suppose that's probably for the best. I don't exactly know how to get home from here.” _

_ “I can't believe you, honestly. I knew there was a good chance you wouldn't understand what I meant if I asked you out, but I was certain you'd have figured it out before we got here.” _

_ “I… Okay. In my defense, you're way out of my league, so I always kind of thought it was all in my head, haha.” _

_ “Whoa. Hold up. Who told you that?” _

_ “Huh? Well, nobody, but anyone could see th--” _

_ “No. I want names, so I know whose asses I need to kick.” _

_ “Nancy, it's fine. Anyone could see--” _

_ “No, it's  _ not  _ fine, Jones. You--” _

_ “Ack!” _

_ “--listen up, you silly man. Life isn't a game, and there are no leagues. You're a smart man, Jones. You know that's all a freah load of buffamoo shit.” _

_ “Uh--” _

_ “I'm not finished. Jones, I like you a lot. I thought I'd made that pretty clear, but I'm fine with telling you in no uncertain terms if that's what you need to hear. What I'm not fine with is dating someone who's going to be constantly putting themself down. Okay?” _

_ “...” _

_ “Jones?” _

_ “Wow. Ah, sorry. I-- See. This is exactly what I mean, Nancy. You're so much more on top of all this than I am.” _

_ “Being on top of things has nothing to do with compatibility.” _

_ “No, I know. You're right, of course. I just…” _

_ “What?” _

_ “I don't know. I guess I never thought I'd be lucky enough to meet someone like you. And for you to like me back…” _

_ “Which I do~” _

_ “R-right. I guess I'm just… in denial?” _

_ “Well, you better slap that denial in the face because this is really happening. That is, I might be persuaded to forgive you if you hold my hand…” _

_ “Oh. Okay, uh. Yeah. Is… this okay?” _

_ “Jones, I literally just told you you had to do this.” _

_ “Hey, I-- Go easy on me, alright? Until five minutes ago, I really thought we were here for business, not…” _

_ “Well, whose fault is that?” _

_ “Hey, okay. You did tell me this was for an ‘appointment’ though, you know. You could have phrased that better.” _

_ “Hmhm. Well, I won't deny that I wanted to see you squirm a little. But, again, I thought for sure you already knew I was into you. Besides, you're not the only one who's allowed to be a little nervous, are you?” _

_ “What, really? I never thought I'd see the day  _ you  _ were nervous about anything.” _

_ “Oh, come on. Everyone gets nervous about something. And might I say, despite the way you carry yourself, you're always very confident and composed when it counts.” _

_ “Um, thank you?” _

_ “Don't think for a second that one of the reasons I like you  _ isn't  _ because you're extremely competent at your job.” _

_ “Oh, geez. You know, you wouldn't say that if you had been awake when I found you.” _

_ “Oh? Wouldn't I? You found a stranger passed out in the middle of nowhere, in a critical condition with a terrible wound, and you kept calm enough to save her life. What's not to admire about that?” _

_ “Ah…” _

_ “Oh, and did I mention she was covered in blood and gore? I don't think I've ever properly thanked you for that, by the way.” _

_ “You did, the first time we met. Well - the first time we met when you were fully conscious.” _

_ “No, I thanked you for saving me, but I didn't know back then.” _

_ “Know what?” _

_ “About your fear of blood. At the time, I'd thought everyone was, understandably, in awe of your quick thinking and good timing. But now that I know that they all knew how much you hate blood, I know what they all meant when they told me how incredible it was for you to save me.” _

_ “Oh. It's really not anything worth praising.“ _

_ “You're wrong. It definitely is. Not just anyone would have been able to do that in your position. Hell, people less averse to blood than you are might have shied away from trying to help. I don't know what I'd have done if our roles had been reversed.” _

_ “Pfft. You'd have jumped right in to try to help, even if you had no idea what you were doing. I know you would have; that's the type of person you are.” _

_ “Maybe, but it would have been out of reckless hubris, thinking I could help. I probably would have made it worse!” _

_ “Hm, I guess it is a bit flawed to think anyone could respond to a situation like that perfectly, isn't it?” _

_ “Of course it is! Okay, now, enough of that. This is supposed to be a first date! And now that we're  _ both _ aware of that, let's do something fun instead of sitting around thinking about all this near-death experience stuff. You ever play 20 questions?” _

_ “Uh, you mean the children's game where you think of something and the other person has to figure out what it is by asking yes or no questions?” _

_ “Wh-- oh. Huh. I guess that is called 20 questions, isn't it? Haha, no, I actually meant the oh-so-romantic teen dating game where you get to ask each other personal questions to get to know each other better!” _

_ “Ohh. That one…” _

_ “What? Too silly for a Serious Medical Professional such as yourself?” _

_ “Oh, no, that's not it. It's just, uh, kind of embarrassing, but I never have actually played that one…” _

_ “What?! You've been deprived! We are playing it, right now. We need to make up for lost time, here! I'll go first: what's your favorite season? ...What?” _

_ “I just… no, sorry, it's nothing.” _

_ “Uh-uh. Hang on, I'm changing my question. Tell me what you were going to say!” _

_ “That's not a question.” _

_ “...” _

_ “Oh, fine. It's, um. I just can't believe I'm really here. I was just thinking… how much I wish my younger self could see me, I guess. Kinda embarrassing, right?” _

_ “Not at all.” _

_ “I… it just would have meant a lot to him, you know. To see how he--we-- _ I  _ managed to wind up _ here _ , sitting hand in hand with a beautiful, charming woman, and nearly a full-fledged doctor, and… yeah. I don't think I would have believed you if you told me any of that back then. It's too good to be true, really.” _

_ “Not really, no. We  _ are _ here, aren't we?” _

_ “Hahaha. I guess I should get used to you always being right, shouldn't I?” _

_ “Perhaps. But I do appreciate the sentiment, you know. I'm definitely pleased to have ended up where I am as well. Although… I have to admit, I think a younger me would be a little less enthused to see where I've ended up. I never imagined settling down to be a nurse, haha.” _

_ “Yes, I could picture that.” _

_ “Oh, really?” _

_ “Easily. I can see a younger you, running amok, driving your parents and neighbors crazy… You'd be exactly the kind of girl I would be afraid of befriending.” _

_ “Too much of a wild girl for you, eh? Well, I'm sure I wouldn't have been too eager to befriend you either, with how bookish and quiet I'm sure you were as a little boy, hahaha.” _

_ “Hmm, we probably wouldn't have gotten along very well back then, would we?” _

_ “Well, you never know. Maybe it would have done me good to have a calmer friend back then.” _

_ “And maybe if I'd known you, I would have learned how to speak my mind sooner.” _

_ “Well, no one ever said we had to stop improving ourselves now! Also, it's your turn.” _

_ “My what?” _

_ “Your turn. To ask a question.” _

_ “Oh! Right. Let me think…” _

_ “...” _

  
  


_ ~~~~~ _

  
  


“Hey, Jones. Jooones.”

“Mmmmmph,” Jones intelligibly murmured into his pillow, rolling away from the noise. Maybe if he just ignored it...

“Jones, sweetheart, you’re going to be late for work!”

That got his attention. “What? Really?”

“Heehee. No, not really.”

Jones cracked his tired eyes open to glare at his beloved, beautiful, incredibly cruel early riser of a wife. He had trouble holding his glare, however, as his features melted into confusion.

“Nancy… Wait, what’s all this?”

“Happy birthday!”

Without his glasses, it was hard to be sure what exactly he was seeing in front of him, but if he didn’t know any better...

“What… Nancy, what’s that.”

“What’s what?”

“Did you… put a candle in that fried rice?”

“Hahaha, maybe. Don’t worry, I made some flan for later, too. A certain someone should be happy about that, don’t you think?” 

Jones was still glassesless and therefore more or less blind, but based on the tone of voice and the slight head tilt, he was willing to bet Nancy was winking at him.

With effort, Jones made to pull himself up out of the covers, when Nancy leaned over her tray of food and firmly (though not unkindly) pushed his shoulders back down into bed. 

“Ah-ah. You’re still sick; don’t push it.” Her arms retracted, but returned a moment later, bringing with them the sweet relief of lens-corrected non-blurry vision. As she carefully put his glasses on for him, she continued, “I wish you hadn’t had to get sick now of all times, but at least no one’s going to argue that you deserve a break to recover.”

Jones took a moment to soak in the view. His wife always looked beautiful, and this morning was no exception. Even though she must have woken up early to get all this prepared for him, and even though she’s been working overtime to keep the clinic running while he’s been stuck in bed. 

Jones could see the bags under her eyes, and he knew how tired she likely is, but he also knew there’d be no chance of getting her to take a rest of her own. He’d do the same for her, after all.

And…

“I didn’t realize it was my birthday already.”

“I can’t say I blame you,” Nancy sighed, moving her hands from fussing with Jones’ glasses to rest along his jaw. “You really scared me with that fever, mister.”

“Sorry,” he replied into one of her palms. He was almost definitely still sick, but sometimes even he couldn’t resist the urge to kiss his wife, regardless of the germs involved. “You should probably wash that…”

Nancy tutted at him, but she was smiling wide as ever. Even after all this time, Jones’ heart flipped in his chest whenever he was able to make her blush.

She moved a hand to his forehead. Her cool hands felt so good against his skin, which was probably not the greatest sign. Her hands probably weren’t even that cold.

Still, he closed his eyes and hummed. “So, what’s the prognosis, doc?”

“Don’t ‘doc’ me,  _ ‘doc.’  _ But, I’m glad that your fever seems to be coming down. Actually, I didn’t wake you up just for the birthday breakfast, you know. You need to take some more medicine.”

“And,  _ doc _ , are you absolutely sure I should be lying down for that?” 

“Oh, shut up, you.” She couldn’t hide her worry from Jones, but he could see some of her tension drain, seeing him awake and joking around with her, and that was all he could really do for her right now.

Nancy helped him up to a sitting position, and as promised, retrieved his medicine from the tray on the bed.

“Sleep well?” she asked as he drank.

“Mmmmm, you’ve really outdone yourself with this tasty, tasty breakfast, oh lovely wife.”

“Ha-ha. Thank you very much, oh _ adorable  _ husband.”

The flat look Jones got was just as beautiful as her smiles. He could really stare at her all day. Maybe the illness and the drugs weren’t helping, but he didn’t think there was any way he could focus on anything in the room besides her.

“To answer your question… I slept well. I dreamed, too.”

“Oh? What about?” Nancy asked, putting away the medicine and pulling something else out of her apron.

“About… a lot of  things, I guess. The past?” Jones leaned his head back against the headboard and closed his eyes, trying to remember what exactly he’d dreamt of. The longer he was awake, the less he remembered of the specifics, but he was fairly sure it had mostly been memories.

When he lowered his head again, he understood what Nancy had been fiddling with before.

She was holding up the plate with the mound of fried rice on it, candle now lit.

“Well, I’d love to hear all about it later, but for now you’d better think of a good wish!” 

Jones was reminded of a different birthday, years ago. He’d spent many years making the same kinds of wishes, but he didn’t need to wish for any of those things, anymore. In fact, he had everything he’d wished for, and it was so much better than he’d even hoped to imagine.

He had a good career, and the love of his life, and the best daughters he could have asked for. He was the man he’d always wanted to be, and he was so, so lucky he’d ended up exactly where he was. Wishing for anything more was honestly greedy at this point.

Still, he could think of  _ something _ worth wishing for.

With a smile, he blew out the candle, and his best friend in the world cheered him on. 

She leaned down to press a kiss to his temple and whispered, “So, what’d you wish for?”

Jones laughed and pushed her back, careful not to knock into the plate she was still holding between them.

“You know I can’t say.”

“Sure, sure, but I’m your  _ wife _ . You have to share  _ everything _ with me, you know!”

“Hmmm, sorry, no can do.”

“Oh! I don’t believe this!” she cried, fake agony failing to conceal her grin completely. “Forsaken by my own husband!”

Jones laughed at her antics, until his lungs decided to assail him with a coughing fit. Nancy was at his side in an instant, but he was fine once it subsided.

“I’d better let you rest, huh? Oh, before I forget!” Nancy walked to the other side of their room and picked up a package tied with a pretty ribbon that Jones hadn’t noticed before.

“What’s this? I didn’t know you were capable of such nice wrapping.”

“Hey. Watch yourself, buddy.”

“Well?”

She had lost, and she knew it. She fixed him with a cute pout, but even that couldn’t change the facts.

“Yes, fine, you’re right. I didn’t wrap it. In fact,” she continued, playing with the orange ribbon, “I haven’t the  _ slightest _ idea  _ who _ could have  _ possibly _ left this here for you. It just  _ miraculously _ appeared in front of our bedroom door this morning, would you believe that?”

“My, what a mystery,” Jones nodded along. “It’s a shame I won’t be able to thank whoever left this for me.”

“It sure is,” Nancy lamented, huffing a laugh. “Sooo, can we open it? I’ve been dying to get a look at it; you’re lucky you’re cute or I would have opened it without you.”

“Excuse you, but I believe it’s  _ my  _ birthday, is it not?”

“Rats. I knew I shouldn’t have told you that.”

Jones took hold of the other side of ribbon Nancy was still fiddling with. “Well, why don’t we open it together?”

“Ready, go!”

Nancy had been more prepared than Jones had realized, and thusly ripped the paper apart more or less by herself. Underneath was a beautiful knitted blanket.

“Ooh… she’s got such amazing craftsmanship, doesn’t she?” Nancy gushed, turning over the blanket in her hands to examine the expertly looped yarn. “There’s no way I could ever make something this nice.”

“I hope she was already planning on making a blanket. I hate the thought of her slaving over a last-minute change after I caught this cold.”

“I think she was. She’s been working on this for awhile, you know. And the start of winter is always a nice time for a new blanket!”

“I should have expected something like this, after she made you that dress for your birthday, huh?”

“Oh, thanks for reminding me! I should wear that again soon.”

“Do you think we should get something else for her birthday? We still have some time…”

“Jones,” Nancy admonished, pulling his soft, cozy new blanket over the both of them as she sat down on the bed next to him, “you’re going to spoil her!”

“Well, can you blame me? I’ll spoil all my girls if I can.”

Nancy hummed happily, laying her head against Jones’ shoulder, but said nothing.

“You’re going to catch my cold, you know.”

“Then I guess you’ll just have to take care of me!”

“I guess so,” Jones agreed, leaning his head against Nancy’s. “I love you, Nancy.”

“I love you too, Jones. Happy birthday.”

They sat like that for a while, wrapped up in a blissful cocoon, until they were interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

“Nancy?”

“Dolce? Come in, what’s up?”

Dolce opened the door and peeked her head in, blushing when she saw the two of them wrapped under the blanket she’d made.

Pico ran in, through the door since Dolce hadn’t opened it wide enough for her, and squealed, “Oooh, it looks SO good, Dolly--umph!”

Dolce stepped completely into the room, bumping Pico back out the door with her foot (to stop her from saying anything  _ incriminating _ , no doubt).

Looking slightly to the side, but still closely enough in their direction that she could see them and the blanket in her peripheral vision, Dolce said, “Sorry; there’s someone at the front asking for some kind of medicine, but I don’t know which one they’re talking about…”

Nancy didn’t waste too much time untangling herself and getting up from the bed, though she did turn to kiss Jones’ forehead one last time before she got up completely. 

“Okay. Dolce, can you tell them I’ll be down in a minute? I need to wash up a bit -- wouldn’t want to spread Jones’ sickness to the customers.”

“Of course,” Dolce said, turning to leave. Before she’d completely retreated, however, she paused in the doorway. Looking back, she briefly met Jones’ eyes and mumbled, “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you, Dolce.” Jones could feel himself beaming, and he hoped she had been looking long enough to catch it.

Wordlessly, Dolce finished exiting the room, though Jones could swear he saw her lips quirk as she turned away.

No sooner had the door closed, than Nancy whisper-shouted, “She’s so cute, Jones! Did you see her face! So cute!”

Jones couldn’t agree more. “Haha, yeah, she really is.”

“And that Pico, she keeps coming up here to check on you for the both of them, did you know that? So, so cute; I love them so much!”

Nancy giggled, indulging in loving-her-girls mode for a moment before she settled back into a somewhat more serious expression.

“Okay, I’m going to get back down there. If you’re feeling up to it, try to eat some of that stuff, okay? There’s the fried rice, but there’s also some soup -- not tomato -- if you’d rather have that. Get some sleep and I’ll be back up to check on you in a bit!”

“You got it,  _ doc _ .”

“Hm. Hey, if you’re feeling up for it tonight, we’ll have a proper dinner and share that flan, okay?”

“That sounds great, Nancy. Don’t worry about me, and make sure you take a break too. We can’t have the whole clinic out of order at the same time.”

“Sure, sure. I will, promise.”

Blowing him one last kiss, Nancy backed out the door, leaving Jones alone with his breakfast laid out before him and his new blanket wrapped securely around his shoulders.

Distractions gone, his thoughts returned to the dreams he’d had. Not all of his memories were particularly fond, and even the ones he cherished often had a common thread. He used to spend a lot of time worrying about the future. Lately, he’d forgotten how far he’d come. He couldn’t be happier with where he was and what he had, and that really was something to celebrate. 

He’d eat what he could now, and rest up to make sure he was feeling up to that family dinner later. He didn’t want to miss a single moment with them.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes this fic was complete self-indulgence bc i’ve liked my trans Jones headcanon for a long time. i didn't mean for most of this fic to happen, but oh well, it's here now.
> 
> Oh also i realize that in the rune factory universe theres actually pretty good gender equality and stuff overall, like women can be chefs and doctors and all that and it’s not a big deal at all, but lets just say i have some pent up feelings about the state of our world and yeah, idk.
> 
> I uh forget if Dolce also likes just regular cake i think maybe she does but i always associate her with flan bc I know for sure she loves that and it's easier to make than cake so i'd always shower her in flan in my games lol
> 
> all kudos/comments are greatly appreciated but also kudos to you if you actually made it this far, I can't say I super thought anyone would haha.


End file.
